Discography

Outhouse
Coming in Autumn- CD feat. Alas No Axis guitarist Hilmar Jensson

Listen to one minute samples of all tracks from debut here


"innovative two-sax core quartet... serious but exuberant contemporary jazz, and drummer Smith is its inspirational heartbeat."
(The Guardian)****

"It's a coherent and well-structured set - and a stunning debut"
(Jazzwise Magazine) ****

"There's an intense rush of energy and enthusiasm swirling about the new UK jazz scene that hasn't been witnessed for years. Leading the pack for 2008 are LOOP Collective alumni Outhouse whose edgy Downtown-influenced two-horn attack is twisted in wild new directions by their deep interest in the Wolof drumming traditions of west Africa."
Jon Newey (editor, Jazzwise Magazine)


Outhouse grew out of a series of improvised-music sessions.... in a North London outhouse... They are Mark Hanslip (tenor Saxophone) Robin Fincker (tenor Saxophone & Clarinet), Johnny Brierley (Bass) and Dave Smith (Drums & Percussion).
This open and exposed line-up enables the music to be continuously deconstructed and rebuilt, aiming to blur the line between improvised and pre-written melodies, grooves and forms. Outhouse's sound world reflects the environment in which it evolves, distorted and fulfilling, always-expanding crossroad of experiences.
Outhouse likes the sounds of: Ornette Coleman, The Hask Collective, Doudou Ndiaye Rose, Alas No Axis, Tim Berne, Ellery Eskelin, Evan Parker, The Roots and many many more.

Outhouse has played in venues such as The Vortex, The Oxford, Jazz in the Round, Jazz Café.... Outhouse have an ongoing collaborative project with Wolof percussionists from The Gambia and Senegal. They recorded their eponymous debut for Babel in June 2007 and the recording is available as CD or digital download on this site. (click here) In December 2007 the band went on a three week trip to Gambia to study and play with 5 Wolof drummers. For the second part of the project the Wolof drummers will bring their sabar drums to the UK and Outhouse Ruhabi (a seperate project from Outhouse) have gigs around the country including one at the ICA and the prestigious Cheltenham Jazz Festival in May 2008. Outhouse had a 3 page feature in the March 2008 issue of Jazzwise.

For their 3rd studio album to be released for Babel in Autumn 2010 Outhouse will be joined with the guitarist from Jim black's NY-based underground cult sensation Alas No Axis.

Three videos of Outhouse Ruhabi playing live in Gambia below

Band biographies

Robin Fincker (Tenor Sax/Clarinet)

Robin first moved to London from his native southern France in 1998. Since he started playing he has studied at Brunel University, the Conservatoire National de Montpellier, the Conservatoire Superieur (CNSM) in Paris and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from which he graduated with first-class honors in 2004. He is now involved in numerous small-band projects as well as working free-lance with large ensembles. He plays with Blink, Stefano Kalonaris Group, Fred Thomas Trio, Curve, Jonathan Bratoeff's Spontaneous Behaviour, Tassos Spiliotopoulos Quartet and has recently worked with London Jazz Orchestra, Brian Irvine ensemble, Ed Puddick Big-Band, Michael Garrick Orchestra, F-ire Collective (Synergy, Rhythms of the City) among others. As well as clubs and concert halls across the UK, over the past few years he has performed in festivals and clubs in Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Holland (North Sea Jazz Festival), Belgium and France.

Mark Hanslip (tenor sax)

Mark has lived in London for 4 years and studied at Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal Academy of Music. Mark plays tenor saxophone in many different contexts including Alcyona Mick Quintet and Dave Manington Quartet. Outside of the Loop Collective he also plays regularly with Matt Wates' Sextet, Nostalgia 77, JTQ Funk Orchestra, Lekan Babalola and Barry Green Quartet and has played with Tony Levin and Henry Lowther.

Johnny Brierley (double bass)

Johnny studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has played with Stan Sulzmann, Jeff Williams and Hans Koller. Additional projects include Dog Soup, Richard Fairhurst Trio.

Dave Smith (drums)
Dave studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has played with Peter King, Liam Noble and Eddie Henderson. Since graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Dave has worked with musicians such as Peter King, Liam Noble, Stan Sulzmann and Eddie Henderson. He also works in some original creative music projects such as Arnie Somogyi's 'Ambulance', the Jonathan Bratoeff Quintet (F-ire Collective). Dave's experiences with West African music began in 2002, in The Gambia, when he attended an ECCO International (Education through Communication and Culture Organisation) cultural course. Since then he has made three return trips to research the drumming tradition of 'Wolof'. As well as setting up collaborative projects, with Gambian musicians and jazz musicians, he now leads a Wolof group which is giving workshops in schools, performing and playing for ceremonies within the Wolof community in London .